As another year winds to an end we reflect on the highs and lows, the wins and losses and look forward to the upcoming year with anticipation and optimism. 2012 has flown by as each year seems to grow shorter and shorter as time goes on. There were challenges as we lost many brothers and sisters as well as many graces as we made new colleagues and friends and were presented with many new opportunities for the future.

This last year was very busy here at GTI and we would like to thank all the great people and agencies that we had the pleasure of working with. In the last 2 months alone we have run trainings in CA, KS, DE, SC, PA, TX and NV and we have had the opportunity to work with several of our long time clients as well as many new ones. The nature of the industry is ever changing and this year it was more evident than ever. Changes in DHS and DoD lead to a very different texture in not only which agencies can train but how agencies can train. As these changes occur there are groups that see their funding increase while others see it going away almost completely and yet many of those that have lost funding are dedicated to their cause and seem to find a way to continue onward. As our motto states "success is not by chance" and as we look back at 2012 it is not by chance that we continue to get the opportunities to work with all the groups that we do; it is because of their commitment and fortitude to keep moving forward.

Even in perfect times it is not easy to get personnel the training they need. It takes a great deal of coordination and effort to make a training event happen both from the agency and our staff. The coordination to get funding, to develop the POI, schedule the travel of students and instructors, coordination and shipping of equipment, all the while keeping personnel from multiple agencies lined out to ensure training events run smoothly. This year was no different in that aspect and GTI's staff has once again done and exemplary job of front and backside support and we are blessed to have so many fantastic personnel associated with us. With that said and not to exclude any division or person; I do want to make special mention to Dennis O'Connor and the training staff for continuing to deliver our trainings with not only expertise but with a true passion for what they do. GTI has always strived to deliver a product that is second to none and Dennis has always pushed himself and the instructors to exceed client expectations and this last year was no exception. Over and over, we have received fantastic reviews not only about the curriculum but about our instructors and I wanted to personally thank Dennis and all the instructors for their dedication and commitment to quality and excellence. GTI's instructors are second to none and we would not be who we are without you and I wanted to say thank you.

I want to thank all of our clients, friends and personnel for your service and sacrifice. I am humbled to have the honor of working with you and I look forward to another great year with you all in 2013.

We here at GTI wish happy holidays to all and a safe and prosperous new year.

Thank you,
Brian Naillon
Vice President
Government Training Institute

On November 4th through the 10th, 2012, GTI was fortunate enough to train multiple officers from New York and South Carolina in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security approved DHS Basic SWAT School. While GTI delivers this course to agencies several times per year nationwide, this particular training stood out as a special event for me and reinvigorated my passion for working with tactical operators around the world because of the commitment and brotherhood displayed by the SWAT team from Orange County New York.

A few days prior to the start of this training event Hurricane Sandy struck the east coast. New York was heavily impacted. Due to the damage caused within the state, the road closures up and down the east coast, and the demands placed on law enforcement agencies in the region, I thought there was no way that the Orange County Special Operations Group would be able to attend the course. I was pleasantly surprised when the feedback our Director of Training received from them was, "We will dry out our gear and be there."

Sgt. Duane Lopez accompanied his group of new SWAT operators to South Carolina to attend the course. Three of the officers left flooded homes and one left not only a flooded home but also his wife and five-month old child. The commitment to excel at what they do was painfully obvious. The group was close knit and truly care about each other.

This team impressed me further when I saw their daily rituals. When they eat a meal, nobody eats a bite until the last team member receives their meal, then they all eat together as a team. Two nights before they graduated, all of the team members but one had received their plates. By the time the last member had received his meal, over a half-hour after the rest of the team, everyone's dinner was cold. Nobody broke rank and ate before their brother. While this ritual may seem like a small and insignificant gesture for people outside our community, it shows that the team mentality is alive and well with the Orange County New York Special Operations Group and it reinvigorated my faith in the brotherhood in which we are apart.

Thank you for your brotherhood. Thank you for your service and commitment. It is this commitment that drives us at GTI to do what we do.

Chadd Harbaugh
President
Government Training Institute

On behalf of myself and GTI, I wanted to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and a safe and prosperous New Year! Looking back on 2012 it was another great year of training with long time clients as well as having the opportunity to work with new ones. As a former law enforcement officer, I know the dedication and hard work it takes each and every day to protect the public. I want to personally thank every one of you in the military and law enforcement fields for what you do and for the sacrifices you make for our country.

2012 has not been without its share of tragedies and I wanted to take some time to honor our friends and brothers who have suffered and paid the ultimate price. In 2012, I had the honor to work with the US Virgin Islands Homeland Security Office to provide advanced swat training to the St. Croix and St. Thomas Swat Teams. Working with Homeland Security Director, Irvin Mason, we brought these officers to our facility in Barnwell, SC where I had the chance to eat, drink, train and get to personally know these fine men and women for three weeks. We talked shop and we talked about family and at the end of the training, we all became a family and talked about seeing one another down the road.

On May 27th, 2012 I received a call from my brothers in the USVI that Officer Colvin "Peeks" Georges, one of the officers who attended our training, was shot and being airlifted to Florida with a critical injury to his neck. Reports of the incident showed that Officer Georges and his partner were ambushed while on patrol, but they were able to return fire killing one suspect and injuring another. The injury left Colvin paralyzed and fighting for his life. Later, on August 20, I received word again that another officer that attended our training from the USVI, Elsworth Jones, was shot and injured when he and Chief Howell responded to a robbery at a local restaurant. Jones sustained injuries to his face, eye, throat, and now has a titanium plate in his cheek.

On September 29th, 2012 after fighting for four hard months, I learned that Colvin passed away from his injuries. I will always remember the times in class with Colvin and his good nature and willingness to learn and train hard. Currently Officer Jones is recovering and I look forward to the times I can see him and all my brothers from the USVI. RIP Peeks!

Alec Sarrazolla
Training Coordinator
Government Training Institute

Jan 7th - Feb 1st
Jan 21st - Jan 25th
Jan 28th - Feb 1st
Feb 18th - Feb 22nd
Feb 25th - Mar 22nd
Feb 26th - Mar 21st
Mar 1st - Mar 5th

Type III SWAT and Custom LE Course (Tiyan, Guam)
Facility Rental (Barnwell, SC)
Gangs and Terrorism (Knoxville, TN)
Facility Rental (Barnwell, SC)
Type III-II-I SWAT (Smyrna, DE)
Type I SWAT (Barnwell, SC)
Basic Swat (Charleston, WV)

• Secure Weapons Storage
• Secure High Explosives Storage
• Construction of all obstacles, target arrays, and scenarios
• Operational Capabilities / Training Secrecy
• Elimination of ammo draws
• Consumable items used during the training event
• Meals can be provided on and off site as part of your training

Founded in 2003, GTI is a center of excellence for law enforcement officers and military personnel whose mission is to train the nation's first responders. GTI's staff comprises 400 years of operational military and law enforcement experience and combines traditional classroom work, research-based training and real-world field exercises to address the requirements of government and law enforcement agencies. GTI delivers more than 30 highly-specialized training programs in the fields of anti-terrorism, terrorism countermeasures, police sniper operations, specialized patrol, high-risk policing activities and a host of law enforcement and military topics relevant to the post 9/11 world.

GTI's Type III SWAT, Type II SWAT, Type I SWAT, Immediate Action Teams (IAT) Active Shooter, Basic SWAT and IED Awareness curricula are approved by the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) grant funding program. In 2008, GTI relocated its training facility from Boise, Idaho to South Carolina. The company is headquartered in Eagle, Idaho.